Braving the Storm
by gurrlife
Summary: Mary Eaton is the 16-year-old sister of Tobais Eaton. When she chooses to leave Abnegation for dauntless she never excepted to see her brother, let alone have him as her instructor. Will she ever forgive him for leaving her? Will she even make it in Dauntless? T for Child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay this is my first Divergent fic! I read all the books in 2 days. This fic is about Four's/Tobias' sister. I will be writing all the chapters from her POV, Chapter by chapter! Enjoy!**

Like every second day of the third month I found myself sitting in a chair in front of the single Mirror in our house. I grasped the scissors in my hand and ran my hand though my hair. It was extremely hard to cut my hair when I couldn't even see it. I slowly turned my head around to see if my father was home yet, he wasn't. I turned back around and face the mirror. When I look at myself in the mirror I filched. Looking in the mirror is one of the things I get beaten for.

People change a lot in three months. I looked older than I did last time I cut my hair. Considering the situation I was in I had to grow up fast. I have very dark brown hair, almost black. My eyes are deep-set and I had a nose that was slightly hooked. When I was younger it looked silly but now it was just the right size, green eyes. _I look like Tobias_ I thought _but with my mother's green eyes_.

I cut my hair then put it into a knot, like all the other Abnegation girls. Before my mother left she would cut my and my brother's hair, when she left he would do it from me. Now I was the only one left.

I smiled at myself in the mirror. Today was the Aptitude tests. I could never happier. One day closer to never seeing my father again. I put on my grey robes and walked down the stairs quietly.

Unlike other families we didn't take turns cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was pleasantly surprised that my father wasn't there. I remember when Tobias was still here. He would make me breakfast and take the blame for everything. I smiled at the thought, and then scowled. _No _I thought _He left you! He hates you_. I quickly made myself breakfast then eat it as fast.

* * *

I think the bus driver purposely drives down the bumpiest roads. Every couple of minutes just when your starting to get comfortable the bus jumps because of the unfinished roads.

When a Candor man gets on the boy sitting across the aisle from her stands and offers his seat to him. The man accepts. I smile at the kindness. This is what I will miss. The everyday acts of good deeds.

The boy is wearing Abnegation grey and dark hair, a hooked nose, green eyes and dimples on his cheeks. He was quite handsome. His eyes meet mine and he smiled. I smiled back then looked away blushing. I could tell that he would probably be staying with Abnegation.

I looked around the bus. There were people from all factions. Accept for dauntless, they jumped off trains to prove their bravery.

My thoughts were shattered as the bus suddenly jolted from the unfinished road. Five years ago volunteers repeated some of the roads starting at the heart of the city and moving out until they ran out of building materials.

The bus sways on the road and the boy I was looking at earlier robe fell from his arm and he looked placid and his eyes shift from person to person. He is standing next to a girl.

She is short and thin. She has a narrow face and round eyes with blonde hair. She didn't look like she was enjoying herself.

I look out the window and stare at the roof tops, thinking about the aptitude tests.

The bus stops in front of the school and I let everyone else get off before I do. I watch as the girl trips over the Candor man's shoe and she grabbed on to her brother's arm, I think they're siblings. I follow them off the bus, and face the school.

The Upper Levels building id the oldest of the three schools in the city: Lower Levels, Mid-Levels and Upper Levels. The building is glass and steel. There is a tall metal sculpture in front of it were the Dauntless climb after school, going as high as they can. A girl broke her leg once.

I continue to walk into the school. As I pass through the doors I tense up. The atmosphere feels tense and nervous, I understand why. The aptitude test will just be suggesting what we do for the rest of our lives. It take in the sights around me as it is very likely that I will never walk these halls again, after the Choosing Ceremony our new factions will be responsible for continuing our educations. Unless I choose Erudite, than I could become a teacher.

Our classes are shortened today; we will be attending them before the Aptitude Tests. They are after lunch, and I can tell most of the school is nervous about them, there just the thing that will change your life forever.

I see that the siblings from the bus have stopped at the split in the hall way, obviously one is going one way and the other is going the other way. I stop and lean against the wall and listen to them. Why I have not idea.

"Aptitude tests today," states the girl. The boy just nods, the blonde look shocked. "Aren't you at all worried about what they'll tell you?" She asked amazed by his calmness.

"Are you?" The boy asks, completely avoiding the question.

I knew the question wasn't directed at me but I thought about it. Which faction would I be put in? Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Amity or Dauntless? I wasn't worried about it until now. I could feel my heart rate increasing. But I quickly slowed it down.

My thoughts broke up when the girl said "Not really."

"Well… Have a good day." He said and walked down the right hallway. My class was Faction History, on the left. I watched as the girl walked down the hallway. I followed.

While she was walking an Erudite boy smacked her in the head with his elbow. She fell to the floor

"Out of the way, Stiff." He snapped as he continued down the hallway.

I rushed over to help her up. She took my hand. Usually we're not supposed to touch at all, but I don't think this really counted. I pulled her up, her face is red and she brushed dust off her grey clothing.

"Don't worry about it, those guys are jerks." I said. She laughed, Abnegation aren't supposed to talk like that. "I mean, they're just being mean."

"I'm Beatrice." She said, bowing her head in a form of greeting.

"I'm Mary." I said returning the head bow. "This sort of thing has happened for months." The Erudite have been releasing antagonistic reports about the Abnegation for months.

"I know." She said, frowning slightly.

"What class are you going to?" I asked "My class is Faction History."

"Mine too." Beatrice said, shyly. I just we weren't friends yet, we only met two seconds ago. I smiled weakly at her.

We walked in the halls for a few minutes. Beatrice looked at her watch.

"Can we stop for a minute." She asked hopefully. I looked confused but stopped at the window, like she asked. She stopped too.

"At 7:25 I like to see the Dauntless jump off the train."

"My brother's Dauntless." I say, absent-mindlessly.

"Cool!" She said. She wasn't talking very much like Abnegation. I guess she liked me because I didn't either.

"My father says the Dauntless are hellions." She said, not really caring who she was talking to.

We watched intently as the trains whistle blew and as the last cars flew past the dauntless flung themselves out of the cars. It was a huge mass of men and women dressed in black clothing. Some ducked and rolled others stumbled for a bit than regained their balance. They all laughed after clapping each other on the back. I watched as a boy wrapped his arms around a girl and they fell to the ground laughing

We looked away from the window and pushed through the crowd towards Faction History.

Faction History was boring and loud. Girls and boys talking to they're friends loudly, thinking it might be the last time they do. I sit beside an Erudite boy in class and he kept kicking me under the desk and every time I jumped or said anything the teacher would say.

"Pay attention!" or "You're here to learn!"

Of course the teacher would never even hear my side of the story because she hates all the Abnegation. The Boy would just glare me a smirk and I would glare at him. I was so glad it was the last day.

* * *

After class Beatrice and I walked to the lunch room. We sat down at a table. The table had to boy and one girl, they all looked to be about 16.

"Mary," Beatrice said "This is Caleb. He's my brother." She said gesturing to the boy with the dark hair, the same boy on the bus.

"Hello Mary, a pleasure." He said giving his head a slight bow, to be respectful.

"And these are Robert and Susan, They are my neighbors. They both bowed there head respectfully.

"Hello." I said back, returning their head bows. Beatrice and I sat down at the table. It was quiet. When we eat we are not suppose to talk unless the adult at the table spoke to us. Of course there was the occasional question or light conversation but is soon died out.

Even for an Abnegation lunch it was still fairly quiet, I guess people where still to stressed out about the test.

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? You have a voice (well a computer) use it. Don't tell me it's no short because I'm doing chapter by chapter and the first chapter in Divergent has only 1,554 words and this one (Not including the A/N) is words 1,740. So BOOM, look at the facts!**


	2. Chapter 2

After talking and eating lunch we got up and walk over to the long table in the cafeteria where the rest of our faction is sitting. The test started almost as soon as we sat down. They call ten names at a time. When they started calling names, the people who got up looked as if they were walking to their deaths.

I Sit next to Beatrice and she sits next to Caleb. I like Caleb. He is sweet, kind and self-less. He was the perfect person for Abnegation.

Across from us sits Susan. She seemed like a kind and polite person. She and Caleb were always flirting, in the weird Abnegation way.

Next to her sat Robert. Robert was quiet when he was around his sister. When she wasn't looking, he would make faces and joke around. I don't think he would be good in Abnegation, like his sister would be.

The test administers are mostly Abnegation, but there is one Erudite and one Dauntless testing us Abnegation. The rules say we can't be tested by people in the same faction as us. Probably because they don't want them to fake the results and tell them they're in Abnegation just because they want more people, I'm not saying anyone would do that. There is any other rule saying that we can't prepare or know anything about the test before hand, not even a second before the test! I have no idea why they do that. Maybe it's because they don't want you to rig the test so you get into the faction you want to.

I look around at the other factions.

At the dauntless table they are having a good time and they are all being incredibly loud. They wear black and dark colours. The girls are wearing skin-tight clothing, tight dresses and black boots. The boys were wearing form-fitting, dark shirt and black pants. They also all either have parings or tattoos, some have their hair dyed strange colours.

The table beside them is where the Erudite are. They are reading books and chatting over books and newspapers. Every once in a while one would disagree with the other and they would get in a logical debate. They wore blue because they think that blue creates a calm environment and a calm mind is a clear one.

At the Amity there are girls sitting on the floor playing a hand slapping games and laughing loudly every time someone was eliminated. The boys in the group were smiling and talking loudly to one and other. They wear all red and yellow. They look bright and friendly. They're dress code is less formal than the other factions because they will wear clothing, such as blue jeans without causing distress.

Close by is the Candor faction. They wear black and white because that's how they see the truth so they wear it. There is a group of boys having a lively debate. They all were smiling and having fun, so it's probably not serous. A group of candor girls were chatting, every once in a while one would look slightly offended.

And then there was us. Abnegation. We dress in gray robe. They are to make us blend in with the crowd and to help us forget ourselves and remember those around us. We are allowed to wear one watch. The watch is plain and gray. We sat at our table not talking, waiting patently for our names to be called.

They called the next ten names.

I tried to listen to the names being called but they sounded as if the announcer was slurring the names together. I only heard the Factions. Dauntless, Candor, Erudite, Amity "And from Abnegation Caleb Prior and Mary Eaton."

_NO _I thought _I don't want to go._ I tried to keep calm. Caleb gave me a weak smile, I tried to return it but it came out lopsided and stupid. I followed him to the rooms. The hallway is covered with mirrors. I could see Caleb was trying hard not to look in them but I stared at my reflection freely.

I looked pale and my hands were visibly shaking. I looked nothing like I did that morning.

We walked towards two rooms. Room number 5 and room number 6.

"Which one do you want?" I said, my voice shaking with nervousness.

"Five." He said, giving me a weak smile. He pale and his hands were shaking too. I would comfort him, but I didn't know him that well. I returned the smile and walked into room 6.

The room had no bare walls. The walls are covered with mirrors and I can see that I wasn't just pale anymore. I was pure white. I shuffled into the room more. The ceiling is all lights and in the middle of the room was a big reclining chair with a machine next to it.

There was a woman from Dauntless waiting for me. She has small, dark, angular eyes and wears a black blazer, like the ones men wear when they're in suits, and she has a black and white hawk at the back of her neck. It has dark red eyes.

"What is the Hawk for?" I asked purely out of curiosity. She smiled at me.

"Curious are we?" She asked. A red blush covered my pale cheeks. She gestured to the reclining chair. I walked over to it and lie down. I lay my head down on the headrest. I look at the ceiling and it burns my eyes.

The woman starts to fiddle around with the machine. She picks up wires.

"In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolizes the sun. Back when I was got this, I figured that if I always had the sun on me I wouldn't be afraid of the dark." She said as she stuck an electrode to my forehead. "I'm Tori, by the way." She added.

I looked shocked. I didn't now Dauntless are scared of anything. "I thought Dauntless aren't allowed being scared of anything!" I say, a little to excited.

"Are you scared of anything?" Tori said.

"Well, yeah… But I'm not Dauntless!" I say.

"Don't you think everybody is scared of something?"

"I guess…" I said, blushing. She smiled. At some point in our conversation she stuck an electron to her own forehead and attached a wire to it.

My hands are numb from clutching the armrest too tightly. She stands behind me and attaches wires to me, than to her, than to the machine. She hands me a vial of clear liquid. I slosh it around in the vial.

"What is it?" I ask. At that moment I feel like I would throw up even at the tiniest of anything.

"Just drink it." She says smiling at me.

"No." I say, frightened. "What will it do?"

She frowns. "I can't tell you." She said. Then she gave me a small smile. "Trust me."

I closed my eyes than open them. I crunch up my face. If I wanted to get out of here I needed to swallow the liquid. So I did.

I leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes once again.

I open them again. But I'm not in the testing room. I'm in the school cafeteria And Tori is nowhere to be found.

"Tori?" I say my voice weak. No reply.

I look at my surroundings. The long tables are empty, and through the glass I see it's snowing. I look down at the table in front of me. There are two baskets. One has a hunk of cheese in it and the other has a long knife in its As long as my fore-arm!

Behind me I hear a woman's voice. "Choose" she said. I whip around and no one is there.

"Tori!" I call again, my voice stronger this time.

"Choose."

"Why?" I scream.

"Choose!" The woman's voice louder this time.

"Fine!" I yell in frustration. I grab the knife. "Happy!" I yell. The voice didn't reply.

The baskets disappear and I hear a door opening. I turn around and I don't see anyone. I look down and I see a dog. The dog is viscous and is running towards me. _ Just a simulation._ I say in my head, _just a simulation. _I refuse to kill the dog and I drop the knife. It clangs as it hits the floor.

I want to run. I really, _really_ do but there is a table in my way and I never ran when my father came home angry. _Don't look the dog in the eyes._ I think. That was a sing on aggression. How do I tell it I'm not going to hurt it? The dog is 10 feet in front of me now.

I kick the knife away.

That wasn't enough for the dog. 5 feet.

I kneel. Showing the dog I'm not a threat. I close my eyes. I expect pain. But it doesn't come. I open my eyes and the dog is rolling on the floor happily. I laugh. This is not the same dog that tried to kill me.

I reach out and pet its stomach.

"You're more like a cat than a vicious beast, aren't you?" The dog wagged its tail in response.

Just then another door opened and a little girl in a white dress came out and screamed "Puppy!"

The girl runs across the room. I stare in shock as the dog turns and snarls and snaps at the girl. I try to warn her but I'm too late. So I can't stop her and I'm not tackling that dog. Then I got an Idea.

Throw myself in between the girl and the dog. I grabbed the girl and formed a barrier around her. Then her and the dog were gone.

I am in an empty room. The walls are black and there is three people standing in front of me. I have never met any of them. One is a little boy, one is an old women and one is a young man. I have this strange feeling like I now them but I can't place there faces.

The voice came again. "Shoot one." It said.

"What! No!" I screamed.

"Shoot one."

"With what?" The voice did not reply. Then I feel something in my hand. It is cold. I look down and see a gun in my hand. I let out a shaky breath. I hold the gun up. On of the people are begging for their lives. The little boy was crying.

I try to think logically about it. The boy still had a lot to live for. Then again so did the man. But the old women didn't. She had already lived a full life. Then I could kill myself. No I won't do that, I'm too selfish for that.

I aim the gun at the old women. "Sorry." I said.

"Wait!" The women said. "Tell me if I look familiar."

"You don't." I lied. Even though she did I feel like it would be a lot harder to kill her if I admitted it. "I've never seen you in my life." I pressed in the trigger. A loud bang went off and the women fell to the ground. She wasn't bleeding. The simulation probably didn't want to scar me for life.

I drop the gun. It immediately vanishes, no even hitting the ground. The boy was still crying. I ran over and hugged him.

"How could you do that?" He questioned.

"I don't know." I said. How was I taking this easy? I should be crying, but I'm not. It scares me just how easy it was to kill her. "I couldn't think of anything else." That was a lie. I could have killed myself. Then the boy was gone.

And I was alone.

**A/N How was that peeps? I think people should be reviewing by now but I don't care. I love to write and if you hate it well… I don't care because… I don't care! Now I'm rambling. Well… Um… Bye! **Waves****


	3. Chapter 3

I open my eyes to very bright light. I squinted and sat up straight my vision still blurred from the lights. I was back in the testing room. Tori was standing beside me. I expected something; anything but she said nothing, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Did I fail the test? How can I fail an aptitude test? Which faction did I get into?

She stared to take off the electrodes from both of our heads. In silence. My confusion was replaced with annoyance.

"So…" I said, promoting her to say something. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked when she didn't reply. I could feel that I was starting too sweet again. I ran my hand through my dark hair, like I always do when I'm nervous. I look at Tori in the eyes. She had a strange look on her face, as if she didn't know what to say.

"No you didn't do anything wrong." She said after a few minutes of silence. "You did fine. It was just interesting. I'll be right back." She said and excused herself from the room.

When she was gone I widen my eyes. What was she doing? Tell someone that I had to go to the faction less because I didn't get any factions?

I sat cross-legged on the chair and held my clammy hands together. I looked in the mirrors and I saw me, sitting a big reclining chair, white as a sheet and hands shaking visibly. I told myself everything would be fine and she would come back in and tell me my faction and everything would be fine, right?

No matter how much I reassured myself I kept shaking. I put my hands out infront of me and saw that they were still shaking. I wanted to want to cry. But I didn't. I didn't want to cry. Tears always had soothed my after one of my father's beating.

I slapped my face lightly trying to get some colour back into it while Tori was out. I breathed in and out slowly. How long had I been in there? An hour? Half an hour?

What happened if I got Abnegation? I would have to stay and live in fear for the rest of my life. I don't think that would ever be an option for me. What if I got Dauntless? Would I ever see my brother again? Would he hate me as much as I hate him?

It felt like hours had passed before Tori came back into the room but I knew if had only been minutes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She said giving me a comforting smile. I try to return it but failed miserably.

"What was wrong with my test?" I ask my voice sounding smaller than a mouse's.

"Your tests were inconclusive." She said

"What?" I asked. I knew what she said but I just didn't quite believe her.

"The test didn't work on you. In your case only three of the factions have been eliminated."

I felt a huge lump in my throat and my heart felt like it was going at a thousand beats per minute. "What were they?" I asked my voice weak.

"Candor, Amity and Erudite." She said giving me a sympathetic look.

"Why?" I asked.

"Candor's out because you lied to the old women." She said. I flinch and a pang of guilt goes through me.

"And Amity because you took the knife." She said. "Erudite is out because..."

But I didn't care anymore I wanted to cry, but I refused to. I couldn't cry in front of Tori she would think I was weak. I snapped myself back into reality because I pretty sure I should be listening to Tori.

"They call you divergent." Tori said. _What is Divergent? _I wonder "Divergence is dangerous, don't tell anybody. Not now and not ever. Do you understand?"

I nod my head in understanding. "Can I go now?" I ask. Just wanting to get out of here and run as far as I could.

I walked back into the cafeteria and watched as Beatrice when in with Susan. The rest of the time was a blur. The word divergent kept pumping through my head over and over and over again until a felt like I was going to pass out right there in the cafeteria. I want to go home and cry about this day about my whole life I wish I was dead I wish… I don't know what I wish for anymore.

I can feel Caleb and Robert both looking at me with sympathy. But I don't want their pity. I want to leave the factions and never come back that whole thing is just stupid. I want to go home.

And I do. I get up with a polite nod of my head to Caleb and Robert. I don't meet their eyes though. As soon as I pass through the cafeteria and the judging eyes of everyone I run. I run as fast as I can and it's fun. It's _fun_. After 16 year of never being able to run I can finally do it. I laugh as I run down the hall way. But when I turn the corner I see the door I have to slow down and walk through it with a expressionless face so the world will think I'm just another Abnegation with nothing special about me.

I would wait for the bus but I would rather walk home and get fresh air to clear my head. I stay in the middle of the road because buses hug the curb and its safer here than on the sidewalk.

_Abnegation? _I though _or Dauntless?_

Every time I see someone do a little kind act like helping someone with their groceries or letting someone have their seat on the bus. That's what makes me fall in love with Abnegation all over again. But, standing up for someone who can't do it themselves and protecting innocent people at all cost and facing your fears head on.

Then there was the fact about my father. In dauntless I would never ever see him again, but if he did come on visiting day it would saw just how scared of him I am. In Abnegation I would be stuck with him for the rest of my life. But as some as I was old enough I would move out and live with a lovely family and they would never have to grow up with the pressers of dauntless. There is so much to consider!

I round the round and she my house fast approaching. There is no car in the driveway and I just want to run into my room and cry. Maybe even my brother's room. But I can't. I may be able to eat breakfast alone but I can't eat dinner alone and no matter what night it is I always have to cook.

I open the door slowly and it gives a loud creek and I close it quickly behind me. I walk into the kitchen and open the fridge and pull out a bag of peas and pour them into a bowl which I them place on the stove.

I kept thinking about the aptitude test and how my results were in conclusive.

_Divergence is dangerous. _Tori's warming rings in my head of I start to cook the chicken.

_Dauntless or Abnegation? _I thought to myself.

Once all the cooking was done I quickly set the table. My father still wasn't home and my heart was thumping in my chest with anticipation. I set the bowl of peas and the chicken on the table.

Then I hear it. The same low creaking noise the door made when I opened it. My father always gets home right before dinner. As he appear from around the corner I hear my heart thumping again and my hands are sweaty.

I bow my head down slightly in a nod of respect and we sit down and eat in silence. A normal parent would ask how it was. But not him. He just sits there and says nothing. I'm actually more scared of him when he is quiet than when he is loud.

"Who did you tell?" his voice is quiet and I barely hear him. But I know what he means. He means who I told about the beatings.

"N-n-no one" I said my voice shaking in fear. MY heart is thumping faster and faster and louder. I'm almost sure he can hear it beating in my chest.

"Then where'd they get the information for the report?" He asks, voice rising slightly.

"What report?" I ask. I curse my curiosity and know I'll pay for that later.

"The one saying the only reason Tobias left Abnegation is because I was cruel to him!" He yelled finally.

"I didn't say anything!" I yell back hating myself for yelling.

"How am I supposed to believe that?" He says quieter this time. He undoes his belt and holds it as a weapon.

"This is for your own good." My father says to me. And he raises the belt and brings it down hard on my back. I am now on the ground as my father's blow come one after the other. I hold my arm up in defense but it still hurts as bad as it would if it hit my back.

After what feels like hours and hours, my father finally finished of beating on me. I wait until he is in the living room then I hobble slowly up the stairs grimacing in pain when my arm accidentally bumps into the stair's railing.

When I'm at the top I can either go in to my brother's room or I can go into my room.

I choose my room because in the back of my head I hear myself thinking _If he didn't leave you wouldn't be hurt. Now would you?_ I will always love my brother but I can't help but feel a burning hate in my gut. I'm always confused about my brother and my whole life. But there is one thing I'm completely and utterly sure about.

I'm not choosing Abnegation.

**A/N: Hi guys. I'm sorry I couldn't update but my sister is getting married and I have to make sure she doesn't screw it up! **

**Was anyone watching the Olympics 2014 Canada vs. U.S. Men's hockey game? 'Cause I was and we beat those U.S... People! There is nothing wrong with the U.S. but I have to support my country.**


	4. Chapter 4

Today is the day. The day my life changes forever the day I will be free from my father for the rest of my life. Today is the Choosing Ceremony. Today we get to choose what faction we will commit our selves to for the rest of our lives.

I force myself out of my bed. I'm still sore from the beating the night before but it's nothing I haven't felt before. I purposely walk slowly from my bed to the bathroom. Like in every other room in the house there is no mirror. I wish there was so I could inspect my bruises. I wash up in the sink and tie my hair up in a knot like all of the other Abnegation children.

I walk back to my room. When I'm in my room I inspect my right arm, the arm I used to block the blows with. It is bruised very badly and it has shallow red cuts on it. I wince when I see it. I hope my face doesn't look nearly as bad as this does because that would raise some questions. I put on a gray tank-top and a gray robe over top of that and a pair of grey sneakers. All are supposed to make me fade into a crowd even though I love being the center of attention.

I peak my head outside of my door and look to see if any one is there. When no one is I walk quietly down the hallway and stop in front on the staircase and duck so I can see the bottom and in the living room. Again no on is there. I walk down the stair trying not to make them squeak when I step on them. Even the smallest noise sounds like a gunshot to me.

My heart thumps with anticipation as I walk down the stairs. I see no one in the kitchen and no car in the driveway. I am so relived that I almost fall to the floor and cry in happiness. But I don't. Instead I run up the squeaky stairs and flung open the panel that was in front of the only mirror in our whole house.

I inspected my face and determined it not to bad. Nothing I couldn't cover up with a little make-up. I know that Abnegation family aren't supposed to have make-up, or in this case foundation, but my mother once smuggled some in and I still have a little bit left. I grab it from the hiding spot in my room and carefully spread it over the small bruises on my face and arms.

I was getting so good at using the foundation that you would never know it wasn't my real skin. Once I was satisfied. I run through the house and stopped at the door and opened it and walked through it like I just didn't come out of a living nightmare.

I walk out of my lane way and into the middle of the road. I decided to walk to the ceremony instead of going on the bus. I needed to clear my head and not think about anything for once in my life.

I got there around the same time the bus did and I walked in with all of the other Abnegation. We take the stairs because we are giving up our spot on the elevators like selfless people are supposed to do. We walk up the stairs in a slow rhythm and I just want to run up them and get the Choosing Ceremony over with.

My mind wonders as we walk up the stairs our feet hitting the surface at the same time every time. I think about how the Ceremony will go down. My father will offer me a knife. I will accept and cut my hand. I will let my blood drip on to the faction I chooses' bowl than I will go and stand behind them. Simple, right? I'm just leaving the faction the raised me and loved me for Six-teen years.

Suddenly I'm having real thoughts on staying in Abnegation. How could I just get up and leave. I mean my dad is the biggest ass-hole I've every meet but how could I be so selfish and just leave him all alone.

I must have had a worried expression on my face because the girl beside me said "It'll be fine, just do what you feel is right," I looked to my right to see who it was and it was Beatrice. I gave her a weak smile and hoped she didn't see right through me. She returns it then turns her head to look ahead. I fallowed her suite and look towards the front.

We near the door and file in. The Abnegation members go and sit in the sections and the 16-year-olds walk over to the side of the room and we arrange ourselves in alphabetical order, by last name.

I sit next to an Erudite boy with blonde hair and a female Amity with red hair. I turn my head and look over towards Beatrice. She is dressed in all gray like every other abnegation in this building. Our parents are good friends, but when every my father went over for dinner at their house I never went. I never wanted to be seen in public with him unless I had to be. Maybe we will chose the same faction and we can be friends.

I turn my attention to the rest of the room. The room is set in concentric circles. The six-teen year-olds stand at the edge. In the next circle our families sit with their factions. Even though not everyone in our factions comes they make the crowd look huge and I feel like I'm going to throw-up.

In the last circle there are five medal bowls, one for each faction. Each bowl contains something that represents that faction. Candor's is glass, Erudite's is clear water, Amity's is dirt, Abnegation's is gray stone and Dauntless' is lit coals.

The factions take turns conducting the ceremony. This year it is Abnegation and my father just so happens to be the one conducting it. I will walk on to the stage when he calls my name. I will not speak. He will offer me a knife and I will accept it. Then I will cut my hand and let my blood drip on to the faction that I choose substance. Simple enough, right?

If it was simple why is my heart racing?

The room slowly quiets down and my father starts to speak. "Welcome," he says "Welcome to the choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the today we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in the world."

_But his way just has to fit in with the five predetermined ways_. I stare intently at my father as he speaks.

"Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood, and it is now up to them to decide what kind of people they will be." His voice is low and each word is heavy with the weight of how important these words are. "Decades ago our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is the blame for a warring world. Rather they determined that it was the fault of human personality-of humankind's inclination towards evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world's disarray."

_Believed responsible for the world disarray._ I repeat in my mind. _What do I believe in?_

"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity." I look over to the Amity who were dress in all red and yellow. They looked happy and beamed with pride at the mention of their chosen faction.

"Those who blamed ignorance formed Erudite."

I'm not smart enough for Erudite. Never have never will.

"Those who blamed duplicity created Candor."

I wouldn't pick Candor even if my test results told me to.

"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation."

I do blame selfishness, but even if I do pick Abnegation I have a feeling I will never fit in and just feeling that makes me think I'm too selfish for them. Sixteen year of trying to be selfless and I just can't.

"And those who blame cowardice were the Dauntless."

I wonder how my brother thought when he sat in his chair waiting for his name to be called. How did he choose?

"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of society. Abnegation has fulfilled our needs for selfless leaders in government; Candor has provided us with trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless provides us with protection form threats within and without. But the reach of each faction is not limited to these areas. We give one another far more than can be adequately be summarized. In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."

I think back to the day before when my teacher was talking about us picking our factions and she used the motto '_Faction before blood'_ how are we suppose to love our factions more than we love anything else?

My father adds, "apart from them, we would not survive."

The silence is heavy and thick with our worst fear. Even greater than the fear of being killed: to be factionless.

He continues, "Therefore this day marks a happy occasion-the day on which we receive our new initiates who will work with us towards a better society and a better world."

There is a loud round of applause and the sound throbs in my head and I know that in just a few moment My father will start to read names for the list and I will soon be called up to make my decision.

I watch as a new sixteen-year-old walk up and take a new knife and their blood drips on a new bowl and there is so much movement t I think I might throw up, or pass out. Both options are bound to get me in trouble.

"James Tucker." My father says

James Tucker is from Dauntless and as he walks up to the bowls he stumbles and throws his arms out to regain balance before he hits the ground. His face turns red and he is practicality running to the bowls.

His eyes shift from the glass of Candor to the blazing coals of Dauntless. He breaths deeply and accepts the knife my father offers him. He faces the bowls and jerks his hand over the glass of Candor. Dauntless mutter slightly then all is quiet. His parent will be forever shamed by his diction and when they are offered a chance to see him on Visiting Day they won't because he chose to leave them.

"Caleb Prior." My father says. Caleb looked over his should at his sister like it will be the last time he ever does. When he reaches the bowls my father offers him a knife and he takes it. I'm not worried about him at all I know he will pick Abnegation. From what I know about him, Abnegation is in his blood.

He holds his hand over the Eurdite bowl and his blood hit the water with a quiet splash but in the room it sounded like a huge bolder was being dropped into a lake. The water turned a deeper shade of red.

The once silent room was now roaring. Erudite were all looking smugly at Abnegation as if to say _your own children don't even want to be in your faction_. If I could I would walk up there are personally start a war between Abnegation and Eurdite.

"Excuse me," says my father. When the crowd doesn't respond he shouts "Quiet, please."

I flinch at his voice then calm myself quickly. I watch as Beatrice walks up to the bowls and takes the knife and drags it across her palm. She brings her hands to her chest letting the blood pool and then thrusts her hand forward between the Abnegation bowl and the Dauntless bowl. She gasps and I hear the sizzling on the stone and mutters. She picked Dauntless.

The other sixteen-year-olds walked to the bowl picked their faction and stood behind their chosen faction. Then the Eurdite boy with blonde hair stood and walked to the bowls. I snap myself back in attention because my name will be called next. He chooses Dauntless and stands behind them. Maybe be I will stand there to or maybe not.

My name is called and my legs are shaking and my heart is beating so fast I think the factionless might hear it. Once I am in front of my father he gives me a knife. He looks me straight in the eyes and I feel like they're burning through my soul and I don't like it and I look at the bowls. I turn to the Abnegation and Dauntless ones. They're right beside each other. _Me in Abnegation or me in Dauntless? Weak in Abnegation or Strong in Dauntless? _My hand whips out in front of me and I don't have full control over my body. And I hear to soft sizzle of blood on coals.

I don't want to be the scared little Abnegation girl any more.

**AN: I promise I won't give up on this Fic! I had the first half written since feb. 17th and the rest I just finished so yah. Also I am going to change the title to either Braving the Storm OR Surviving the Storm. YOU get to chose. (And sorry for the weird spacing. Fanfiction and I don't work well together sometimes.)  
**


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